Basement Water Blocker?
So I’ve officially joined the “Water in the Basement” club! While I have plans to fix the spot where the water is getting in, it’s not a quick/easy fix right now so my goal right now is to keep the water from continuing on from the back half of the basement (storage area) where’s it…
So I’ve officially joined the “Water in the Basement” club!
While I have plans to fix the spot where the water is getting in, it’s not a quick/easy fix right now so my goal right now is to keep the water from continuing on from the back half of the basement (storage area) where’s it getting in on into the front half (rugs, rec room). This photo shows the narrowest spot and beyond that is the rec room. I want to try to stop the water from getting past this point- any suggestions on materials for a barrier I could fasten down to the floor to stop it from getting past? I was thinking just a 2-3 inch tall rubber strip across the width of the hall, but not sure if that’s my best bet. I just would rather the water pool in the back then continue on to the rug-covered areas.
Any suggestions welcome!
Hank has a the right idea. I had a very similar situation and was able to use Sakrete hydraulic Concrete for a solution. Worked perfect. Good luck.
Thanks so much for all the suggestions- Door Dam is pretty intense, but definitely more than I need and more money than I’d like to spend- but I appreciate the thought.
The water is getting in through the cellar door frame so it needs to be replaced- the walls are all fine and perfectly waterproof.
While I wait on getting a new door and frame fitted though I wanted to contain any future flooding.
I realize most things of this nature would be trip hazards, but it would be a short term fix, not permanent.
Thanks again to all the contributors- I can always count on the Bstoner community for help!
Hallelujah! Door Dam, I bow down! I love you guys…
Wow, Doordam looks very effective. Bessie, how expensive is a smallish one?
Here’s what FEMA recommended that we buy for the exterior doors at one of our buildings that was damaged by March’s storm. It’s like what hooky describes.
http://www.doordam.com/
In order of lowest cost and reverse order of effectiveness (bearing in mind that the only truly effective solution is preventing water from even entering the basement wall):
1. Barrier, more or less as described.
2. French drain. Dig a trench inside the wall at the location of the leak with a slope leading to a pit where you position a sump pump to push the water up and out.
3. Cut out any loose mortar in the wall, re-point, and coat the inside of the wall with a hydraulic cement product. Bear in mind that eventually, because the pressure of the water us outside-in, any if these products will eventually be pushed off the wall.
4. Dig out the ground outside the location if the leak, install a waterproof membrane on the outside surface of the wall with protection board and drainage board and backstop with granular material.
John Ife
I got an idea for a water blocker for my house (flooding because sewer lines can’t always consume the heavy rainfall) from the Brooklyn Bridge playground. In the waterpark there is a metal hatch that the kids can lift up to let the water go down the stream or push down to pool the water at the top of stream. My fix is a pared down version where you afix a rubber “u” sleeve (there’s probably a better name for this, but my McMaster Carr catalog is nowhere to be found) to the cement via screws (caulk the edges) and then just slide a pc of 1/4″ plexi down into the sleeve whenever I know flooding is imminent. Might be too permanent a fix for you, and obviously the rubber sleeve needs to be very snug and on all 3 surfaces, the sides and the ground- but if you ever get to the park take a look and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
If you’re looking for a temporary quick fix, how about some piled up sandbags and a big pile of inexpensive or old towels in front of the sandbags on the wet side? You can throw the towels in the washer and dryer when they get wet after you’ve mopped or wet-vacced up the pool of water. I dont think you’re going to be able to easily construct something temporary that is super water-tight and strong enough to hold up against the weight of a few inches of water.
This may not be the answer you want but here goes anyway. Any vertical barrier is obviously a tripping hazard and would most likely allow water to seep past anyway. (I assume you’re thinking of something like a rubber barrier siliconed to the floor, etc.) While you didn’t articulate the source problem. i.e., the leak, why not attack that? If it’s a crack or weak area in the foundation wall or in the floor, you may very well have an easier fix than you think. If it is along those lines, simply dig/chip out the offending area and patch with “hydraulic cement” which is put out by a few different companies (Sakrete, etc.) It is usually excellent in sealing out these types of leaks. Good luck.